TivoToGo

[sixseven]

Hi Everyone,

I edited my original post. I have found a new method to be absolutely the best for converting .TiVo files. Using AutoDVRConvert as outlined here (http://the8thsign.blogsome.com/2005/04/19/automated-tivo-to-go-to-mpeg2decrypting/) automatically creates an IC1.5 compatible MPG file as you copy the file from your TiVo. Actually it converts the .TiVo file immediately after it is copied, but that only takes a few seconds. It's much, MUCH faster than manually using GraphEdit.

Enjoy!

67

[shaunkanak]

FWIW:

For the past month I've been transferring tivo video to my TG-50 to watch on my commute (the days I'm not driving).

There are a few steps but once you do it a couple times, it's easy and not too time consuming.

My tivo is a Series 2 DirecTivo but this will work with any tivo that has been/can be hacked. Pretty much all of my tivo knowledge and support has come from the Dealdatabase Forum (http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/) . In my case, I put the Tivo 4.0 OS on my dtivo, enabled the Home Media Option with the superpatch, attached the dtivo to my home network and finally set up TyTools (http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39740) for extracting video. I won't lie. I read a lot of threads. When I started the process, I spent an entire long weekend getting everything set up. However, in spite of the lost weekend, I have to say it was well worth it. I'm working on a guide to save others some of the senseless frustrations I went through.
So, assuming you have a networked hacked tivo and have TyTools set up, you can follow my process:


1. With TyTools, extract the video, generate Key File, Edit Key file (if you want to edit commercials), then Mux VOB (no need to generate IFO set).

2. Follow the method Egalus (http://www.1src.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47282) developed to prep the VOB file just like you would if it were a DVD. The only thing I do different is that I don't use the "Autocrop" in the Avisynth script file. So far, all of my dtivo video is 480x480 so I just set the Bicubicresize(320,240) - this also saves a bit of time by cutting the step of testing/tweaking the Autocrop and resize. Usually the audio is right on but occasionally I have to tweak the delay and test in WMP. Finally, generate the fake AVI file with VFAPI.

3. I convert the fake AVI file with IC1.1 (IC 1.5 kept giving me errors at 80%. No one offer any help to my posts so I reverted to IC1.1 - it's not pretty and it's slow but it works.). I used IC Prefs to set the conversion properties. Tivo video (in the US) is NTSC 23.98 fps so I set IC for 12fps and a mid to low range video bitrate.

4. Profit :D

If you have a working IC 1.5 or IC 2.0 then you may have more options or better options but this consistently works for me. Setting up the conversion takes about 10 to 15 minutes if I cut commercials - less if I don't cut. Then I set up IC and go to bed since IC is the slow part of the process. 1 hour of video is roughly 100MB. I have a 256MB mem stick so I can get a 2 hour show and some MP3's. The video quality is good but depending on the motion in the scene there is some blurring or pixelization but I don't care - it's a 3" screen. I did convert a car chase scene from a dvd at a higher bit rate and 15fps with better results but 6 minutes was about 28MB.

Good luck!

/glad I didn't spend $300 on VR100k

[sixseven]

shaunkanak,

Wow! Thanks for the detailed reply... I just got my Tivo for Christmas, so I am a little fearful of hacking it right out of the gate. I would imagine is I start to feel the squeeze of the 40gb drive, I'll want to hack. As a technology, Tivo (linux) is pretty new to me, so I have a bit of a learning curve as well... I'll start lurking in the forum you mention to raise my comfort level; the folks in tivocommunity.com seem too uptight!

I loved your guide though. Seemed pretty straight forward after the extraction part. I use the Egalus method for DVDs, so I already have that process working.

As far as the 7.1 upgrade goes, I would imagine that it will be a few days or even weeks until someone hacks the .tivo format into something that IC can deal with anyway... Anyone want to wager on how soon?

Gotta go to work! Thanks again for the post!!!

-sixseven

[shaunkanak]

sixseven:

Some things to consider...
- I have Directivo. DTV has no plans to add the HMO or TivoToGo since they are allegedly releasing their own non-tivo DVR later this year. So, after I read that someone had a hack to use OS 4.0 and add the HMO it was just a matter of waiting for my warranty to expire.
- Upon re-reading my warranty from Hughes, I realized the full warranty was only 90 days, the parts warranty was 1 year. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't worry about the warranty. If you can add a HD to a pc and can follow directions, then you can hack a tivo. I kept my original Tivo HD pristine and hacked on old 100 gig drive I had left over though I plan to put a new bigger drive in soon.
- Apparently newer series 2 Tivos have something called a RID chip - didn't apply to me but there are some different steps to hacking.
- I haven't seen much about the new OS 7.x but so far the assumption is that most of the existing hacks won't work.
- TivoToGo would save the trouble of extracting with TyTools but the key will be whether or not the video files are scrambled and only playable on Tivo provided software. From the Tivo site it looks like they will have a special version of Sonic MyDVD (yuck! :eek: ). My guess is that they will do their best to keep you from cutting commercials and maybe employ some sort of DRM.
- If TivoToGo doesn't let you copy video the way you want then you could always hack the Tivo back to an older OS and still have the HMO features and everything the hacking community has achieved. There are places to download older OS images if that's what you want.
- And finally, the Tivo hacking community is active and resourceful. My prediction is that new hacks will be developed for the new OS and for the transferred videos... it's just a matter of time.


/footnote: Anytime I've used the term hack or hacked, I am referring to modifying the OS to allow features of the Home Media Option (which is a no-charge feature) and extracting video I have recorded for the purpose of saving to DVD or viewing on my PDA. I do not condone hacking for the purpose of taking or receiving services that normally require a fee be paid. In fact, I don't know how to do that nor do I wish to know if or how that could be done.

[shaunkanak]

sixseven,

Saw this info on last night on the Dealdatabase message board (the links take you to another tivo message board).

A .tivo file appears to be a password-protected MPEG-2 program stream:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-v...threadid=215842

Also, 7.1 contains a nifty built-in web browser:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-v...threadid=215838

Good luck, hope that helps you. At least it should save you some hacking headaches.
BTW: You mentioned the 40 gig not being enough... Simply upgrading to a larger drive is very simple and only a 1 or 2 hour process. The best guide I've found is Hinsdale's (http://www.newreleasesvideo.com/hinsdale-how-to/index9.html) - no hacking skillz necessary.

[sixseven]

It looks like a modification of the egalus method is the trick here. If you have TivoToGo (TTG) and would like to watch your TV shows on you Clie, you need to read and understand the following thread:

http://www.1src.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47282&page=1&pp=15

Once you have all of that mastered... :) All you really need to do is create a new .avs file that looks similar to the following:

-------------begin avs script-----------------------
DirectShowSource("C:\Documents and Settings\sixseven\My Documents\My TiVo Recordings\The Simpsons.TiVo")

Bicubicresize(320,240)
-------------end avs script------------------------

(You might want to play with the manual crop settings...)

From there, use VFAPIConf as normal, and input the TTG Desktop password as needed...


This information was derived from the following thread:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=2508716


Thanks,
67

[sixseven]

FYI, this is still not working 100% for me. I would love it if anyone else out there with a Series 2 Tivo would like to help on this... :)

[sixseven]

I got it working! Woo Hoo!!!!

Follow this process (http://www.evillabs.net/tivo/). But instead of naming your output file with the .mpeg extenstion use .vob instead. Then all you have to do is follow the Egalus Method (http://www.1src.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47282) for converting video.

Good luck!